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If there’s one thing clear to the BetterDoctor team after this year’s HIMSS, it is that the healthcare industry is fundamentally shifting and there’s a lot going on to that end.
We noticed four underlying trends happening simultaneously and much of it is due to the advancements of technology that have shaped consumer expectations. On top of that, many products have also improved the delivery mechanisms in all corners of the healthcare industry.
First, consumers have a certain expectation of service quality making them more demanding and more knowledgeable. We do live in the Amazon Prime era after all. This shift, largely known as the consumerization of healthcare, is not exactly new but is nevertheless transforming the way people interface with the healthcare industry. Consumers are more powerful than ever, which means that healthcare services face the challenge of being constantly compared and evaluated.
Today, consumer giants, like Apple and Amazon, have stepped into healthcare, creating pressure on the industry to focus on good consumer experience. This is a good thing and at HIMSS we saw this all around.
The second trend we noticed was the different ways patients can interact with the care providers. One obvious yet very powerful use case is telehealth, where patients don’t have to go to a doctor’s office anymore to receive care, but can chat over a video call. During the past few years, telehealth has become more mainstream and even NASA takes care of their astronauts by using telehealth.
As much demand as there is to use innovative and new user-centered applications rampant in the banking and retail industries, there remains barriers to building these applications in the healthcare space. Accessing data is challenging at best and impossible at worst. Other industries allow developers to access easily consumable RESTful APIs to access data that they can use in their applications. For example, the highly regulated banking industry in Europe, agreed to open up their APIs to foster innovation and new services. Unfortunately, accessing any data remains complicated and there are no clear standards in the industry.
The good sign is that there is a will to make this all better and accessible. At HIMSS, we saw everything from backend data management to different consumer facing applications moving towards a cloud-based or internet enabled solution. Nearly all 1300 companies at HIMSS emphasized words like cybersecurity, data and interoperability at their booths, clear signs in the right direction.
The last big trend we observed was the strong interest for improving healthcare with blockchain, machine learning or even AI. However, while these buzzword technologies are very exciting, we couldn’t help but wonder about their underlying data sources. Our team focuses on improving provider data, and based on the recently published CMS provider directory audits, it is clear that if you want build any application to refer doctors to patients, provider data needs to be fixed first. This made us realize that data quality needs to be part of the conversation of making healthcare better.
All the trends at HIMSS indicate that there is movement towards innovating for a better consumer experience. The evolution of technology in healthcare will surely take us in an interesting direction. We look forward to collaborating with others in the industry so we can be more more transparent and make access to data safer and easier.
Join 300 healthcare experts that get invited to our monthly provider data webinar series.


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Digital Rupee, the anticipated Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), is planned to be launched in 2022–23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman revealed while presenting the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2022 on Tuesday. The minister says that the digital currency will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and will be based on blockchain technology. It will, however, be different from regular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ether, which are of a decentralised nature.
Sitharaman, 62, noted in her Budget speech that digital Rupee — the exact name for which will be decided later — is aimed at giving a “big boost to digital economy” and lead to a “more efficient and cheaper currency management system” in the country.
In her over one-hour-and-thirty minutes long speech, the finance minister did not reveal more details about the long-awaited CBDC. She, however, later explained in a press conference that the digital Rupee will be treated differently than digital assets and existing cryptocurrencies.
“A currency is a currency only when it is issued by the Central Bank, even if it's a crypto. By anything which is outside of that, loosely, all of us refer to be cryptocurrency, they are not currencies,” she said.
Importantly, plans around digital Rupee have been in speculation for some time. Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur in February last year suggested its creation while responding to a question raised in Rajya Sabha.
The industry has welcomed the government's move towards bringing its own digital currency.
Nischal Shetty, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange and wallet WazirX, said that the news of launching blockchain-powered digital Rupee is “phenomenal” and shows that the country is on the path to legitimising the crypto sector.
“This move will pave the way for crypto adoption and put India in the front seat of innovation,” he said.
Other stakeholders in the cryptocurrency space have thoughts similar to Shetty and are optimistic of the development.
“Introduction of CBDC sends a clear signal of India being a digital-first, efficiency-driven, and transparency-led system,” said Sumit Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX.
Avinash Shekhar, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange ZebPay, underlined that the launch of digital Rupee by the RBI would help familiarise Indian consumers with the benefits and efficiency of virtual currency and build an appetite for the crypto and blockchain.
“The Budget focused heavily on integrating technology across sectors, and the gradual acceptance of a digital currency, blockchain, and virtual digital assets has the potential to make India a leader in this new paradigm of blockchain-enabled revolution,” noted Shekhar.
Shivam Thakral, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange and wallet BuyUcoin, said that the launch of the digital currency would catalyse the growth of blockchain infrastructure in the country.
“If RBI allows the trading of CBDC on private exchanges, it will add a new dimension to public-private partnerships in India's fintech space,” he said.
Ashish Singhal, Founder and CEO of cryptocurrency exchange CoinSwitch Kuber and Co-Chair of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Assets Council (BACC), asserted that the arrival of the new currency would accelerate digitisation in the country.
“We also believe that various budget measures to improve digital payments adoption will induce more digital-savvy Indians into the financial ecosystem willing to explore newer forms of investing and wealth creation,” Singhal said.
In addition to cryptocurrency exchanges, the announcement to venture into the digital currency space by the government has been taken positively by fintech companies.
Vishwas Patel, Payments Council of India (PCI) Chairman and Director Infibeam Avenues, said that digital Rupee would bring new applications for payment mechanisms.
"The formal announcement on launch of India's CBDC - the digital Rupee, was a much awaited and positive move, and will trigger a wave of preparatory activity amongst retail payments providers," he said.
Harshil Mathur, CEO and Co-Founder of payment gateway RazorPay, said that the introduction of the digital Rupee would help reduce financial and physical efforts required for money management.
Similarly, Puneet Gupta, Managing Director and Vice President of data management firm NetApp India, stated that the announcement would help create a framework for emerging technologies.
On how the Central Bank Digital Currency or CBDC would help boost the digital economy in the country, Digital Payments Strategist Ram Rastogi said that it would allow users to make digital payments not just in a traditional digital sender-to-digital-receiver way but also in a digital-sender-to-offline-receiver manner.
“Smartphone users may make the digital Currency payments via a QR code, while the non-smartphone users may make the payments through an SMS string-based e-voucher,” he said.
He added that the payments through an SMS string-based e-voucher would allow the non-smartphone population to gradually use and accept digital methods.
“A successful implementation of the digital currency would not only curb black money but would also counter the craze for private cryptocurrencies,” Rastogi noted.
The use of blockchain technology for digital Rupee also shows that the government is preparing for a future where these concepts will become mainstream, said Venus Dhuria, Co-Founder of mobile Internet technology firm AppyHigh.
Market experts also believe that the arrival of a digital currency in addition to the existing Rupee would reduce leakages in the economy by lowering dependency on physical cash.
“Digital Rupee using blockchain technology will lead to stable, efficient, regulated payments and settlements and lower transaction cost,” said Rajosik Banerjee, Partner and Head, Financial Risk Management, KPMG in India.
HDFC Bank Chief Economist Abheek Barua said that the digital currency was likely to have an impact on banks. “The implications of the same will have to be thought through further,” he said.
Some industry stakeholders are raising concerns as the government is yet to provide a framework for the implementation of the currency.
“Significant issues such as security, custody of keys, and access start to come into the forefront of the discussion,” said Arjun Khazanchi, CLO and Co-Founder of crypto and digital asset management platform Rooba Finance.
Pankit Desai, Co-Founder and CEO of Mumbai-based cybersecurity startup Sequretek, also said that the government should focus on raising awareness and education around the importance of cybersecurity, privacy, and data security among businesses and consumers alongside bringing technological advancements in digital payments for sustainable growth.
Madhusudan E, a member at Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE) and Co-Founder & CEO at personal loan platform KreditBee, also stressed that the implementation process of the digital currency is something to pay attention to.
Some experts have also pointed out that while the government is finally moving to launch the country's digital currency as its alternative to cryptocurrencies, it is not recognising any other digital currencies in the country.
“As a result, free-market players will not be permitted to operate or use cryptocurrencies other than the digital currency issued by RBI. This will prevent market players from entering into several digital transactions that require such other kinds of cryptocurrencies,” said Probir Roy Chowdhury, Partner at law firm J. Sagar Associates.
He added that the only way to bridge the gap would be to come up with a set of regulations to govern all kinds of digital currencies in use in India, instead of the government-controlled currency.
Interested in cryptocurrency? We discuss all things crypto with WazirX CEO Nischal Shetty and WeekendInvesting founder Alok Jain on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts. Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

domain: news


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The Fed understands that the Government will no longer announce plans for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme before Christmas. The new terms for the scheme will now be released in the New Year.
The statement from the Treasury said:
“We are protecting businesses from high energy costs this winter, caused by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, through the six-month £18bn Energy Bill Relief Scheme,”
“However, this is very expensive, and we need to ensure longer-term affordability and value for money for the taxpayer.
“That is why we are currently carrying out a review with the aim of reducing the public finances’ exposure to volatile international energy prices from April 2023. We will announce the outcome of this review in the New Year to ensure businesses have sufficient certainty about future support before the current scheme ends in March 2023.”
The Fed will continue to press the government for independent retailers to be prioritised in this review. They are central to local economies and the government needs to provide relief past April 2023.
The Fed is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates to members as soon as the information is available.


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Theresa May's premiership is the focus for many of the newspapers following her return from what the Telegraph calls her "Brussels failure".
"PM loses her grip on power" is the front page headline in the i newspaper.
Both the Times and the Telegraph leader columns urge Theresa May to quit.
In an editorial headlined "Go, Prime Minister", the Times says one conclusion is inescapable: Not only does Mrs May have no solution to the political crisis that is engulfing Britain, but she has become an obstacle to finding a way out.
The Telegraph says she will no doubt spend this weekend contemplating both the country's future and her own.
It goes on to praise her lifetime of service to the country, but adds that the multiple meanings of duty can include recognising when things can go no further.
Away from Brexit, the Times reports that weapons similar to those used by the Christchurch mass murderer are legally on sale in Britain, despite the government's claim that gun laws are the toughest in the world.
According to the paper, semi-automatic shotguns can be bought online and from gun dealers around the country.
It says these combat-style shotguns fire cartridges, but can be fitted with magazines holding up to 10 rounds that can be discharged rapidly without any need to reload.
The Home Office tells the paper it will review the findings of the inquiry into the New Zealand attacks, to see if further action should be taken here.
Finally, the Mail reports that the owner of a chain of pubs could be about to ban mobile phones at his establishments.
According to the paper, Humphrey Smith - who owns Samuel Smith's brewery - has apparently told staff to actively discourage drinkers from using phones or tablet computers, in an attempt to preserve the genial art of pub conversation.
The paper says that at one of the brewery's 300 pubs, a ban already appears to be in place.
When the paper's reporter attempted to use a tablet computer, a member of staff told him he could not do so "because Mr Smith doesn't like it".
The paper says it was told by Mr Smith's office that there wouldn't be any comment.


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Twitter announced this week that it is allowing select Space hosts to try out its new feature that will enable them to share clips from their recorded Spaces on the micro-blogging platform. However, the company is currently restricting this feature to iOS users.
Some hosts on iOS will now be able to share 30 seconds of audio from the recorded space with everyone, the company said in a tweet. While the trial feature is being rolled out only for iOS-based users of Twitter, anyone on the platform will be able to listen to these clips. This means that not only iOS users but the company’s Android and web-based users will also be able to listen to these clips.
As far as availability on Twitter’s Android and web-based platforms is concerned, the company said that its new clipping tool will soon come to Android and the web.
In a statement to TechCrunch, the company clarified that there is no limit to the number of audio clips that can be created and shared on Twitter. These clips will be live on the platform for about 30 days, after which they will be automatically deleted from the app. In addition, the company said that the company is currently rolling out support for its clipping tool to space hosts. Later, it will roll out the functionality to all Twitter users. “We will be monitoring the response and plan to expand the space clipping functionality to everyone on Twitter in the near future,” a Twitter spokesperson told the publication.
It’s worth noting that while Twitter has just started testing its Clips feature, it isn’t the only platform experimenting with such functionality. Clubhouse rolled out a similar feature on its platform in September last year, allowing users to create 30-second-long shareable clips in rooms that allow it. Clubhouse users can tap the scissor icon to capture the last 30 seconds of audio that can then be downloaded locally and shared widely. Amazon began testing similar functionality for Amazon Prime Video users last year. Additionally, YouTube is also working on similar functionality.
The post Twitter is testing a new clipping tool with featured space hosts first appeared on BGR India.


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Another hurdle is signing up new dealers to start selling the cars, but according to the spokesman there’s plenty of interest in the rejuvenated brand and up to 70 dealers will be onboard by next year. Once settled in the UK, Nanjing hopes to start selling the TF in Spain and eventually more European markets.
The final issue is fears the car is simply too old to compete with the competition, according to Car Online. The TF is now 13 years old and the first model to be sold will be an expensive limited-edition model. To deal with this, product planners will follow up with a budget model with limited features but we’re still unsure if this will be enough to woo buyers, especially in the face of tough competition from the new generation Mazda MX-5.


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Purchasing Watertown Bucks has always been a fantastic gift idea – and this holiday season it could become even more rewarding.
The Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging everyone to “Love Your Community This Holiday Season” by shopping local. Many of you are already familiar with Watertown Bucks, but because our community is constantly growing, let me offer a quick review.
Watertown Bucks can be purchased at The Chamber office, located at 1 East Kemp, in denominations from $5 through $50. They may then be redeemed at all Watertown Chamber Member businesses in the area.
Could there be any better way to encourage shopping locally? Watertown Bucks truly are the perfect gift for family, friends and employees.
The economic impact will continue well into 2017 as your Watertown Bucks are reinvested in businesses throughout the community.
But just in case you need even more incentive, everyone who purchases Watertown Bucks from December 1 through December 31, 2016, will have the chance to win an additional $500, $250 or $100 in the Chamber’s Watertown Bucks drawing.
We’re extremely excited to launch this “Love Your Community” promotion on December 1, as our Chamber members are ready to serve you.
Speaking of our members, we can’t help but brag a little bit about those who invested time this week in our “Improve Your Customer Service For the Holidays” sessions. These fortunate folks had hands-on training with international speaker, trainer and author David K. Aaker, IOM.
Kudos to the businesses that saw the value in sending their employees for this important refresher. Aaker travels around the United States and beyond sharing his stories on the impact of offering stellar customer service.
While we know everyone’s calendar is filling up, we hope you’ll also mark two more important dates in December.
On Tuesday, December 6, David Owen, president of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry, will be in Watertown for a Pre-Legislative Preview at 9 a.m. at Hy-Vee.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard will speak at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 9, at the Lake Area Technical Institute Student Center, Fourth Floor. This stop on the Governor’s Budget Tour will be our opportunity to hear first-hand what is being planned for our state in the coming year.
As we approach the New Year, we wish you prosperity, success and friendship in 2017. If there’s any way we can be helpful, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Megan Gruman is president and CEO of the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce, located at 1 East Kemp Ave., Watertown, S.D. She can be reached at email@example.com.


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When iPhone users open their phones, they’re going to see a notification for a new update to the MINI Connected app from the App Store. It’s version 2.3, and MINI has some great updates to the app which make it even more essential to the MINI driver on the go.
In Winter Park, used MINI owners are already using and loving the MINI Connected app. With this 2.3 update, here are a couple features they’ll soon be enjoying. MINI has improved the Foursquare functionality on the app, which means it’s easier than ever to keep your friends updated where you are driving in your MINI.
Also, the app now is fully integrated with the iPhone calendar. You’ll have full access to all your entries and will even be able to call a number listed in your appointment. You’ll never miss a lunch date again.
Lastly, at Fields Orlando MINI, we’ve been most interested in the MINIMALISM Analyzer feature, which is a system that rates your driving. If you efficiently accelerate, slow down and change gears, you’ll get more MINIMALISM points. With the 2.3 update, MINI added an All Star Timer feature for those drivers who’ve achieved five stars in a MINIMALISM categories.
As more and more drivers are finding their smartphones to be an essential part of their commute, MINI is making it easier than ever for drivers to harness the power of their phones while being safe behind the wheel. And the 2.3 version of the MINI Connected app is another step in that direction.


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The classic saying—China is a huge market. Imagine if they each give you a penny—has been attracting entrepreneurs and SMEs from around the world for the past 40 years.
Yet, the current mood of investors is somehow mixed: the Chinese economy seems less dynamic, retail is suffering, currency is under pressure. These are common concerns, among others, we hear as professionals. Let’s face it, some of them are actually true—if you’re a bank, a North American social network, or a weapons manufacturer, then it’s probably not the best time to invest in China. But for the others, there are five good reasons to be optimistic for 2017 and onwards:
1. More openness from Chinese authorities in 2017
Direct Foreign investments from China increased by more than 50% in 2016 , reaching 137Bn€. At the same time, foreign investments into China increased by a mere 0.5% to reach 108Bn€. Easy math. Chinese companies now invest more financially outside the country than foreign companies invest in China. Combined with a slight decrease in China’s economic growth (even though a solid 6.5% is expected in 2017) we have a power mix to more openness. Indeed, as a result of the lopsided investing pattern, China’s 2017 economic guideline is expected to be more welcoming towards foreign investors, including a reduction of the restricted sectors and a more flexible approach to investing. China is ready to do more to attract foreign investors with interesting development plans. Commerce Minister of China, Gao Hucheng, confirmed recently China’s efforts to “promote the healthy and orderly development of investment and cooperation in 2017.” Chinese authorities are pushing to create a favorable business environment for foreign investors.
2. China is a pragmatic fast-learner
Chinese authorities clearly point out the need to keep growing through innovation. Initiatives such as “Made in China 2025” specifically target innovation, and change is not only aimed at Chinese companies but also at foreign companies. China is already number one for tech patents registered. This development has transformed the whole business ecosystem within China. It’s now as fast to register a patent in China as a patent in Europe. This move to a more innovative business environment is changing the ways Chinese economic actors evolve and collaborate with foreign companies, creating an opportune time for foreign entrepreneurs to be a part of this unprecedented progress. The new change-driven program leaves a big spot for SMEs. One striking example: It’s now quite common to work on prototypes directly with factories who have dropped their huge load from the 00s MOQ.
3. China tech environment: a step ahead?
Technology-wise, the Chinese society embraces change and loves trying new ways of doing things. 2016 has been an extraordinary year for the Chinese tech world. The big names (Alibaba, Tencent) are expanding globally. While Europe happily just discovered Apple Pay, Chinese Netizens have already been using mobile payments for the last 5 years. WeChat recently launched its in-app store and 14.2 billions WeChat red envelopes; bluetooth beacons technology is becoming commonplace… Nearly 800M Chinese already use a smartphone extensively and prediction holds that 700M (mostly the rural population) will likely gain smartphone access in the coming years.
This movement provides an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs and SMEs to adapt their products to China’s advancing technology environment. It’s time to catch the wave before it expands to the world (and it will).
4. The west keeps growing: Inner land as an opportunity
China is not a homogeneous market. It offers many opportunities for investors ready and willing to go the extra mile. Cities in China’s West, and especially the Sichuan, are catching up with their Eastern counterparts and the local governments are eager to attract more foreign companies to keep up the pace.
Also, the Belt and Road Initiative is a great opportunity for less developed regions, mostly in inland China, to catch up with the more advanced provinces on China’s East coast. Chinese authorities clearly insist on the inner ‘’Go West’’ opportunities for foreign companies, promoting the advancement of these ripe-for-business inner regions.
5. From a capital led economy to a consumer led economy.
For the long-term viewer, there is a clear trend that the Chinese economy will transform in the coming years from a capital expenditure led economy to a consumer led one, as well as from an investment and export-led economy to a consumption and services-led economy. This transition opens significant opportunities for European SMEs and entrepreneurs involved in consumer goods and personal services. The ever-growing Chinese middle class will expand market potential in this consumer led economy. By 2022, it’s estimated in a McKinsey report that more than 75% of China’s urbans will earn between $9k and $34k annually and this continuously growing middle-class definitely creates amazing long term investment opportunities for the coming years.
The opportunities are strong for foreign investment in China in 2017, with the proper preparation and specific advice.
An extra positive point: Chinese astrology expects great success for business for the Year of the Rooster. That may be the best reason of all to make your move to China in 2017.
Harris Corporate Solutions / Fung, Yu & Co. CPA Limited
About the author: Bruno Marengo manages Harris Corporate Solutions’ Parisian Office. After various experiences in banking and private equity, Bruno spent three years in our Hong Kong office before moving to Paris to expand our European operations. He is experienced in handling cross border operations between Europe and Asia and in structuring our Asian and European clients’ international expansion. He also focuses on advising European companies on their first move to Asia. Bruno holds a master in corporate finance from Audencia Business School and a master in Economics from the University of Hong Kong.
Harris Corporate Solutions established in 1973. It caters more than 2,000 entrepreneurship companies, mid-size private companies and listed companies for their in-bound investment structuring, compliance and profit repatriation in Hong Kong and China through their offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Paris.


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Spread the Wealth
There's more than one way to cash in on a technology boom.
Internet company CEOs and Wall Street investors aren't the only people getting rich from the technology boom. After all, it takes a village to raise a technology business. One sector that has found phenomenal growth by trolling in the wake of tech success is high-tech market research firms. In the information age, the phrase "knowledge is power" could be changed to "knowledge is profit." Companies that cater to the information needs of tech businesses have tapped into a lucrative area.
And they're not the only ones reaping benefits. PR firms are booming, thanks to waves of new hardware and software products and the millions of dollars dotcoms like E*Trade, CNET Inc. and Pets.com are spending on Super Bowl commercials. Technology lawyers are also watching their pay skyrocket, as every company needs a lawyer to keep abreast of the shaky area of Internet and tech laws. Law firms are paying higher salaries to keep the best and the brightest from running off to join Silicon Valley companies.
Continue reading this article -- and everything on Entrepreneur!
Become a member to get unlimited access and support the voices you want to hear more from. Get full access to Entrepreneur for just $5!


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Although there are great hypes since from earlier today suggesting that Google has submitted Google Now for Apple App Store, but report confirmed that Apple stating that the Google Now still not been submitted to the App Store for approval. Interestingly in response to CNET, Apple says that it has no power to approve or reject the app.
But, now what makes this whole a big sounded loud and clear, actually Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt at an event suggested by pointing out that “our (Google) work is to submit the app for approval, now accepting or not-accepting is in Apple’s hands.” Some they approve and some of them they don’t.
In the event, Schmidt confirmed that app being submitted for approval and notoriously Apple denied that Google Now still not seen submitted for any approval. Who is right or Who is wrong? We will get to know pretty soon.


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Apple always manages to finds itself in the limelight, even when it is not launching any devices. While much of the recent speculations surround its upcoming 10th anniversary edition iPhone, the Cupertino tech giant is making headlines as Apple finally has its own Instagram account.
The account is not to give any press images or news related material but rather, an account to share works by iPhone photographers.
The company on Monday launched its @apple handle, which Apple bills as an effort to “look through the lens of iPhone users around the world”.
Each post on the account is basically a video slideshow of a photographer’s work along with a sound clip of her or him talking about the subject matter. Apple is also urging Instagramers to participate by using the hashtag “#ShotoniPhone.”
The account amassed 20,000 followers within first 40 minutes of its existence.
Apple already maintains multiple verified Instagram accounts for the usual posts, including accounts for Apple Music, iTunes, Beats 1, iBooks, Carpool Karaoke, and even Planet of the Apps. However, this is the company’s first account dedicated for iPhone photography and the idea behind it certainly fits in line with what Instagram users want.
Apple has also used the same “Shot on iPhone” phrase on billboards around the world, to make it a photography slogan of sorts.
Instagram now has 700 million monthly active users across Apple and Android, making it the right place for Apple to market its device’s camera.
This article originally appeared on The Verge.
The post Apple launches official Instagram account to show off iPhone photography appeared first on The Express Tribune.


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- What stores is Zara closing?
- Why is Zara closed?
- Can you buy Zara online in South Africa?
- Is Zara expensive?
- Does Zara ship to South Africa?
- Is Zara like H&M?
- What does H&M stand for?
- Is Topshop closing down in South Africa?
- Is Zara owned by H&M?
- Who owns Zara South Africa?
- Where can I buy clothes online in South Africa?
- Can you buy online from H&M South Africa?
- What does Zara do with unsold clothes?
- Is Zara Sa closing down?
- Is Victoria Secret going under?
- When did Zara open in South Africa?
What stores is Zara closing?
This week, retailers announced closures of over 2,100 stores:Zara owner Inditex said it will close 1,000-1,200 stores worldwide over two years and focus on digital growth.
The Children’s Place is closing 300 of its 920 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.More items…•.
Why is Zara closed?
The owner of Zara will close as many as 1,200 stores around the world as the clothing retailer tries to boost online sales during the chaos wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Can you buy Zara online in South Africa?
Fashion retailer Zara is launching online shopping in South Africa through its website zara.com/za. When browsing online, customers are also able to check the availability of the item at any store in South Africa, as well as see recommended products. …
Is Zara expensive?
Zara is not expensive. Its far from being expensive but it is not cheap either. … Zara is in fact known for providing high fashion items at very low prices and what you see at Zara you would see only at luxury brand stores for which you would end up paying 15 to 20 times of what you pay at ZARA.
Does Zara ship to South Africa?
ColisExpat receives your Zara purchases and forwards them at your house in South Africa. Zara is especially known for its chain of clothing stores, which are more than 2,000 in 88 countries.
Is Zara like H&M?
Zara is growing twice as fast a H&M, up 8 percent as compared with 4 percent from 2016-2017. H&M operates 536 stores in the U.S., while Zara operates about 300 stores here out of some 800 Inditex brand stores in the Americas.
What does H&M stand for?
Hennes & Mauritz ABHennes & Mauritz AB (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɛ̂nːɛs ɔ ˈmǎʊrɪts]; H&M [ˈhôːɛm]) is a Swedish multinational clothing-retail company known for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children.
Is Topshop closing down in South Africa?
The retail group closed its last Topshop store in South Africa – at Canal Walk shopping centre in Cape Town – at the end of last month, according to its social media posts.
Is Zara owned by H&M?
Hennes & Mauritz, the Swedish company behind H&M, Monki and Weekday, and Spain-based Inditex (owner of Zara and Massimo Dutti) are both seeing the benefits of decisions taken last year to trim their networks of physical stores and throw more resources into online sales.
Who owns Zara South Africa?
InditexIt belongs to Inditex, one of the world’s largest distribution groups. The customer is at the heart of our unique business model, which includes design, production, distribution and sales through our extensive retail network.
Where can I buy clothes online in South Africa?
10 Best online shops South AfricaZana. Image: twitter.com, @zanaproducts. … Zaful SA. Image: instagram.com, @zafulcoupon. … Superbalist. Image: facebook.com, @superbalist. … Label Collections. Image: instagra,.com, @label_collections. … Makoya Brands. Image: facebook.com, @makoyabrands. … Hello Pretty. … MRP. … Zando.More items…•
Can you buy online from H&M South Africa?
Today H&M South Africa has 36 stores, with 10 store markets and 13 online markets and as a company it has a collective 4,200 stores across 64 markets. … The H&M Magazine online offers customers a great opportunity to browse for the latest trends and hot fashion tips, exercise tips, makeup cheats and so much more.
What does Zara do with unsold clothes?
Faulty items, the company says, are either sold through its Clearance operation or donated to charity. Inditex, the parent company of Zara, says it focuses on reducing stock levels to cut down excess inventory, through short production runs and its proximity manufacturing model.
Is Zara Sa closing down?
Zara is one of many fashion brands that had to close business due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The retailer’s parent company, Inditex, announced its plans to shut down between 1 000 and 1 200 stores over the next two years, and focus on online sales.
Is Victoria Secret going under?
Well, there will definitely be at least some change. Victoria’s Secret is going private and the majority share of the company has been sold to Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, in a $525 million deal. The deal doesn’t look great for the chain.
When did Zara open in South Africa?
Spanish retailer Zara will make its African debut at the newly refurbished Sandton City on November 10.


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Chinese approval boosts Revlimid's long-term prospects
This article was originally published in Scrip
Celgene's Revlimid (lenalidomide) has been approved in China for multiple myeloma, opening up a growing new market that some analysts expect to make a meaningful contribution to the thalidomide derivative's global sales over the longer term.
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While it has raised the full-year profit outlook, Takeda came in under analysts' consensus for some of its fiscal first-half figures, pointing to a growing forex impact.
Product review report reveals multiple delays and missteps on route to market, holding valuable lessons for other gene therapy developers but also evidencing an ultimately welcoming environment.
Join us for a quick audio roundup of major developments in the international biopharma industry over the past week, as covered by Scrip's global team.


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Indian Auto Industry Continues to Struggle, Continuing On Downward Trend Since April 2019
The volume of sales for domestic automobile retail continued on their downward trajectory since the beginning of 2020 up to the time of this writing, according to India Ratings and Research. This occurs in spite of large discounts, as Ind-Ra says that buyers still prefer to wait for new models to launch before purchasing, as well as for the Bharat Stage VI emission standards to become fully instated in April 2020.
Retail Sale Losses in Percentages
Passenger vehicles have suffered a 5% loss in retail sales, while commercial vehicles went down 7% and two-wheeled vehicles 9% last January. For the original equipment manufacturers, sales volume for all vehicle types went down by 14% in January 2020. Ind-Ra has said that in-stock units at dealerships motivated OEMs to further cut production in that same month, continuing the trend of production cutting that they have been experiencing since mid-2019.
This is after general production in the auto industry went down by 13% from April 2019 to January 2020. This general loss is made up of a 13% downturn in passenger vehicles, 26% for commercial vehicles, and 13% for two-wheelers. However, light CVs suffered only a 1% drop in sales, and utility vehicles continue to grow, with an increase of 3% in January 2020. These sales drops on the dealership level have caused noticeable revenue cuts for the OEMs, coming in at declines of 6% for passenger vehicles, 14% for commercial vehicles, and 16% for two-wheeled vehicles.
Likely Causes For the Declines, and their Impact
Minimal customer appeal, coupled with a decrease in demand, made it so that MHCV sales took a while to reach their target numbers. Another thing that may have been a chief factor in reduced sales was the client base being more informed of vehicle quality and reliability, thanks to comprehensive online resources. Customers thinking it more prudent to wait for Bharat VI-compliant models to arrive is another suspected factor. Despite the sales drops, however, the shifts in market conditions led to the larger companies gaining market share.
For example, the market share for Maruti Suzuki India Ltd rose to 53% in January, up by 3% from their previous share. Similarly, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd market share rose by 4%. Meanwhile, Tata Motors Ltd, alongside two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp, experienced a stable market share at 41% and 36%, respectively.
OEMs to Change Strategy For Future Markings
According to Ind-Ra, dealership inventories still adhere to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations’ recommendations. This is thanks to OEMs proceeding with regulated wholesale billing despite lack of demand. Still, as demand remains in the midst of a slowdown, OEMs are likely to keep cutting down on production in the near future.
While the numbers seem to spell an overall negative for India’s auto industry, it’s important to think one of the largest factors at play are compliance to Bharat Stage VI standards. With new vehicles that comply with the latest emission regulations, a renewal of demand for vehicles of every class. This should lead to a recovery in the auto industry, once the new models have settled into the market.


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Oregon and Colorado vote against labelling genetically modified produce, after multimillion dollar campaigns by food companies
Voters in Oregon and Colorado have rejected ballot measures that would have required foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be labelled as such in those states.
In Colorado, the measure was defeated by 66% to 34% of the vote, but things were much closer in Oregon, where just 50.3% voted to reject labelling.
In the run up to the vote, companies like Monsanto and DuPont combined forces to raise over $16 million (£10 million) for a campaign to defeat the initiative in Colorado, while the effort promoting it collected a fraction of that amount. In Oregon, companies spent over $18 million on opposition campaigning, while backers only raised about half that figure.
Overall, chemical, agricultural and large food companies have spent over $100 million on anti-GMO labelling campaigns in four US states – Oregon, Colorado, California and Washington – according to the Washington, DC-based Center for Food Safety.
‘Costly and confusing’
DuPont spokesperson Jane Slusark says the company opposed the state-level labelling initiatives because they could be ‘costly and confusing’ for consumers. ‘We believe consumers should have access to the information they need to make decisions about their food,’ she tells Chemistry World.
Monsanto says it is pleased that farmers, food producers, retailers and consumers in Colorado and Oregon won’t be subject to these ‘costly measures’ and will not be ‘unnecessarily economically impacted by the burden these labels would create’, according to spokesperson Charla Lord. She says Monsanto supports a federal approach to GMO labelling, rather than a patchwork of state laws. ‘The rejection of these measures avoids this patchwork and the incremental increases in the average annual grocery bills of their consumers,’ Lord says.
But elsewhere, voters in both California and Hawaii adopted measures in early November that ban the production of GMOs at the county level. In California, a ballot initiative prohibiting the propagation, cultivation, raising or growing of such products in Humboldt County passed with a vote of 59% to 41%, and in Hawaii, a similar measure prohibiting the cultivation or reproduction of GMOs within Maui County was approved by a vote of 51% to 49%.
Currently, three US states require GMO labelling. Connecticut and Maine have both passed such laws, but they contain provisions stating that they can’t be implemented unless several other states approve similar labelling laws. Vermont, meanwhile, has passed a labelling law that is slated to go into effect in 2016.
But as the movement to clamp down on GMOs gains traction in the US, the reverse appears to be happening in the European Union (EU). Genetically engineered foods must be labelled in all EU countries (along with others including Japan, Russia and China), and there are also many significant restrictions or outright bans on their production and sale.
Last month, however, more than 20 of Europe’s top plant scientists demanded in an open letter that the EU take action to enable GM plant research. In countries that do permit field experiments with transgenic plants, the scientists noted, these are often systematically vandalised by activists, causing huge scientific and financial losses.
They warned that Europe may fail to produce world-class science if policymakers continue to block such research on ‘political’ grounds.


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RIM Sees Continued BlackBerry Growth From Government Users
RIM hopes new government security certifications and a device management platform will bolster the platform's position against iOS, Android.
RIM has certified its latest BlackBerry operating systems to federal security standards, and a company executive said Thursday they will continue do so. This certification ensures government agencies using the devices can upgrade to RIM's latest devices.
More Government Insights
- Forrester Whitepaper: IT Operations Managers Must Rethink Their Approach to Private Cloud
- Mobile Data Center Brings the Mobile Cloud to Life: Portable, Mobile Data Centers Aligned with Army Operations
The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded smartphones running on the new BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 7.1 operating systems FIPS 140-2 certification, the security requirement mandated by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) standard for security in government agencies.
"[The federal government sector] continues to grow in terms of new subscriber acquisition as well as in the reinvestment/refresh business, or customers that are at the end of their contract upgrading to new BlackBerrys," said Scott Totzke, senior VP of BlackBerry security at RIM.
[ RIM's recent change in leadership isn't enough to save the company, say IT pros. See New CEO Won't Stop RIM's Bleeding: Exclusive Research. ]
While Tozke acknowledged increased competition from iPhones, iPads, and Android-based smartphones and tablets in the federal space as agencies increasingly adopt these devices, he said RIM is "holding our own" with the BlackBerry--once virtually the only mobile device approved to be in the hands of government employees.
He said RIM's federal business for BlackBerrys continues to have steady and incremental growth, but did not give specific numbers, saying the company does not break out its business by sector.
Still, RIM has recognized the diversification of devices in the government market, particularly in the federal sector, where the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs are among those that have approved iPhones, iPads, and Android-based devices for use.
To meet this challenge, RIM is entering a new space, that of mobile device management. In late March, the company will release BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, a secure mobile device management offering that will provide a single management console not only for BlackBerrys but also for devices based on Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
With the new product, RIM joins companies like MobileIron and Good Technology, which already have products in this space.
"One of the things we have done is listen to our customers," Tozke said. "As the mobile device landscape switches into smartphones/tablets and whatever else we're going to deploy, it will be very much a heterogeneous world. We will offer customers a way to manage that in a single environment."
RIM already has some beta customers for BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, but not in the federal sector, he said. However, there has been interest in the new product from government customers, Tozke added.
Find out how to create and implement a security program that will defend against malicious and inadvertent internal incidents and satisfy government and industry mandates in our Compliance From The Inside Out report. (Free registration required.)


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It’s a new year, and as always, digital technology is still rapidly evolving. As online content and devices become more sophisticated, businesses are under pressure to adapt
EMAIL IS STILL KING
Even though there is a plethora of social media platforms to reach consumers, email is still the most powerful method of online marketing. A survey conducted by Adweek found that of all their respondents, three-quarters claimed that email was central to maintaining their business. Email allows businesses to reach consumers directly, rather than having to buy ads on Facebook or Twitter, thus also conserving precious marketing dollars.
BUILDING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
With up to 2 billion people using smartphones in 2016, there’s great potential for companies to reach consumers wherever they are. If companies respond to this trend by going for quick, short-term sales opportunities, they’ll be missing out on the benefits that relationship marketing has to offer. By cultivating meaningful relationships with customers through conversation and emotional engagement, companies build loyalty and brand support among their customer base.
Google announced last year that mobile Internet traffic is leaving laptop and desktop traffic in the dust. It’s not that people are using their desktops and laptops less; they’re just using their mobile devices more. Companies who haven’t already made the necessary design adjustments need to do so now. The smart phone and the smart tablet aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The time of the holo-deck is fast approaching. As the devices we use become smaller and more personal, the potential for being fully immersed in the digital world becomes greater. It’s only a matter of time before virtual reality technologies completely transform the way we do business. Because the technology is still new, there’s no way to be 100 percent certain how it will affect consumer behavior. That’s why it’s vital for businesses to get in on the ground floor and start experimenting with technologies like Oculus Rift as soon as possible.
THE RISE OF “THE INTERNET OF THINGS”
Speaking of immersive digital technology, the use of wearable technology is set to rise by 28 percent this year. This means that, now more than ever, companies will be directly tuned into the behaviors of their customers. The opportunities for customer engagement and behavior-based marketing will be unparalleled. It may be unsettling to know that companies have so much access to a person’s personal information and behavior, but at the end of the day, the data is just that: data. Companies will have to decide how to wisely respond to customer data, knowing full well that the consumer is as equally tied into the information stream as they are. The Internet is the great equalizer; it has made it more difficult for companies and consumers alike to hide their behaviors and practices.
These are just some of the digital marketing trends that are set to take place in 2016. This list is by no means exhaustive, and with each technological leap forward, new trends could arise before the year is over.
What other significant marketing trends have you noticed? Leave us a comment below!


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It’s official — CB2 is coming to Calhoun Square this fall.
Ken Seifert, general manager of Calhoun Square, confirmed that CB2 recently finalized a lease agreement and is shooting for a Nov. 1 opening.
The one-level store will be located at the southwest corner of Calhoun Square. To make room for CB2, demolition of the vacant shoe store building at the northeast corner of West 31st Street and Hennepin Avenue South began on April 14.
Calhoun Square management is in the process of trying to find tenants for the renovated and vacant commercial spaces along Hennepin on both the first and second levels of the building. The hope is that agreements with other high-profile tenants can be hammered out before fall, increasing the vibrancy of Calhoun Square in time for the holiday shopping season.
Getting CB2 to sign on the dotted line is a significant step toward that end. CB2 is the hip, urban brand of Crate & Barrel. It sells housewares and furniture at more affordable prices than its parent store.
The Minneapolis location will be the tenth CB2 store in the U.S. and the only one in the Midwest outside of Chicago. Calls to CB2’s corporate headquarters in Northbrook, Ill. seeking comment about the Uptown store were not immediately returned.
Calhoun Square’s plan for a one-level commercial development sparked controversy while working through the city approval process last fall and winter. Citing the Uptown Small Area Plan — an advisory planning document recommending 3- to 5-level buildings in the heart of Uptown — the CARAG and ECCO neighborhood groups both criticized the CB2 plan.
In response, Calhoun Square representatives argued that unfavorable market conditions made it impossible to realize the types of high-density, mixed-use developments recommended by the Uptown planning document.
At a Planning Commission hearing regarding Calhoun Square’s CB2 plan last December, Carol Lansing, at attorney representing Calhoun Square, said: “One point we can all agree on is CB2 is just a great opportunity for Minneapolis, Uptown and Calhoun Square. But if these applications are denied this great opportunity will be lost.”
In a split vote, the Planning Commission ultimately approved the plan, paving the way for CB2 to finalize a lease agreement with Calhoun Square management.


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1 million developers use Jetson, including major employers such as Microsoft Azure, John Deere, Medtronic, Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Hyundai Robotics, JD.com, Komatsu and Meituan.
Santa Clara, CA – GTC – March 22, 2022 – NVIDIA is today the NVIDIA(R) Jetson AGX Orin™ Development Kit (https://www), the most powerful, smallest, and most power-efficient AI supercomputer in energy in the world. .nvidia. com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-orin/) is now for sale. Jetson AGX Orin advances the development of advanced robotics, autonomous machines, and next-generation edge and embedded computing products.
Jetson AGX Orin offers the same palm-sized form factor and pin compatibility, and a close price, while offering more than eight times the processing power of its predecessor, Jetson AGX Xavier, at 275,000 billion times per second. NVIDIA Ampere architecture GPU, Arm Cortex-A78AE processor, next-generation vision and deep learning accelerator, high-speed interface, faster memory bandwidth, and multi-modal sensor support to simultaneously power multiple AI applications in the pipeline.
Deepu Talla, Vice President of Embedded and Edge Computing at NVIDIA, said, “As AI transforms manufacturing, healthcare, retail, transportation, smart cities and other key industries economy, demand for processing continues to soar With 1 million developers and over 6,000 companies We are already leveraging Jetson With the launch of Jetson AGX Orin, we are building next-generation robotics and cutting-edge AI products, driving industry-wide efforts.”
Customers using the Orin Jetson AGX are NVIDIA CUDA-X™ Full High-Speed Compute Stack (https://www.nvidia.com/ja-jp/technologies/cuda-x/), NVIDIA JetPack™ (https: / ) ./developer.nvidia.com/embedded/jetpack) SDK, NVIDIA Isaac™ (https://www.) on Omniverse™, pre-trained model of NVIDIA NGC™ (https://ngc.nvidia.com/) catalog.nvidia.com/ja-jp/deep-learning-ai/industries/robotics/), NVIDIA Metropolis (https://www.nvidia.com/ja-jp/autonomous-machines/intelligent-video-analytics-platform /), and the latest application development and optimization frameworks and tools, such as the NVIDIA TAO Toolkit (https://developer.nvidia.com/tao-toolkit). It reduces the time and cost of deploying mass-grade AI, and it’s the largest scale developers need to solve cutting-edge robotics and AI challenges such as 3D recognition. , natural language understanding and multi-sensor fusion. And you can access the most complex models.
Support a wide range of customers and ecosystems
Jetson AGX Orin has strong support from many robotics and embedded computing ecosystems, including Microsoft Azure, John Deere, Medtronic Digital Surgery, AWS, Hyundai Robotics, JD.com, Komatsu and Meituan.
● “We extend the powerful Microsoft Azure platform to the intelligent edge. Combining the advanced capabilities of Azure with the performance and software development tools of NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin, developers are ready for production AI. Benefit a seamless experience to easily build, deploy, and operate your applications.” — Roanne Sones, Vice President of Microsoft Azure Edge + Platforms
● “The world population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. Farmers face the difficult challenge of feeding the world, which cannot be done by themselves. Available The scaling up of advanced technologies such that autonomy will continue to evolve smarter and build more efficient farms. John Deere’s fully autonomous tractor with dual NVIDIA Jetson GPUs for fast and accurate image classification at the edge will be available this year, but farmers will overcome challenges and will grow.Help deliver supplies to the world of
● As a leader in medical technology, Medtronic continues to innovate and advance solutions to improve care for surgical patients. With quantitative analytics and real-time clinical decision support systems, we are the AI in digitizing surgery. The latest NVIDIA Jetson platform delivers a new level of computing performance in the operating room and advances intraoperative systems to better support surgeons with data-driven solutions.- Dan Stoyanov, Scientific Director, Medtronic Digital Surgery
● “Advances in cutting-edge AI and robotics are reshaping the entire industry by overcoming rising costs and limitations in labor and materials. Going forward, all industries will benefit from AI and robotics. 2022 has proven to be a key turning point. Combined with pre-trained AI models, frameworks such as TAO Toolkit and Isaac on Omniverse, the Jetson developer community and its partner ecosystem, Jetson AGX Orin provides a scalable AI platform with unparalleled resources that can be easily adapted to almost any application.”—TIRIAS Research, Principal Analyst, Jim McGregor
The Jetson™ embedded computing partner ecosystem includes a wide range of services and products, including cameras and other multimodal sensors, carrier boards, hardware design services, AI and system software, development tools and custom software development.
Jetson AGX Orin Price and Availability
The NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin Development Kit is currently available for $1,999 (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-orin/). Production modules will be available starting at $399 in Q4.
In Japan, Ryoyo Electro Co., Ltd. (https://ryoyo-gpu.jp/products/jetson/agx-orin-devkit/) and Nexty Electronics Co., Ltd. (https://www.nexty-ele.com/product/product_news/) detail/jetson-agx-orin-devkit/), Macnica Co., Ltd. (https://www.macnica.co.jp/business/semiconductor/manufacturers/nvidia/products/139794/), price open from March 23 Pre-order sales will start at.
For more information on the Jetson AGX Orin, check out Jensen Huang’s Keynote GTC 2022 review. Register for GTC 2022 (https://www.nvidia.com/ja-jp/gtc/?ncid=ref-pr-242463) for free and attend sessions hosted by NVIDIA and industry leaders.
The invention of the GPU by NVIDIA (https://www.nvidia.com/ja-jp/#source=pr/) (NASDAQ display: NVDA) in 1999 spurred the growth of the PC gaming market explosively. , high performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI). NVIDIA’s pioneering efforts in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence are replenishing trillions of dollars in industries such as transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing, and accelerating expansion in many other industries.
For more information, click this link: https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/
To the company press release details (2022/03/23-10:18)


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Nick Allen of BMPA is calling on the government to finalize the decision regarding export certification and warns that if the clarity is not offered soon, the UK’s meat businesses will suffer.
The UK government does not have long to take action until British meat businesses have warned British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) CEO Nick Allen of losing orders to EU customers.
Of course, the post-Brexit transition period is still referring to the decision on export certification and tariff arrangements, and has voiced his fear that the UK meat industry will see a decline in orders from September until The government does not make it clear. Decision in next few weeks.
There is a lack of information from the government on key issues of the UK’s formal approval for exporting meat products to the European Union and the approval of our meat plants. If this process is delayed until the autumn, from 1 January there will be great uncertainty about our position and UK exporters will not be able to agree on further contracts.
“There is also deep concern over the provision of an army of additional veterinary inspectors, which will be required by law as soon as the infection period ends. These additional vets will need to sign a consignment of EU bound meat products. Currently no one is taking responsibility for these issues and due to lack of certainty, export orders can be halted. “
Until now, businesses have only needed one invoice to ship goods to the European Union, but once the transition period is over, a new, longer way of business will have to go. According to Allen, none of these processes have been addressed yet.
Allen also expressed concern over the tariffs, which he believes could exacerbate the problem: “Our EU customers may be unhappy with tariffs of up to 40 per cent on UK meat exports.”
BMPA said in a statement, “If these arrangements do not happen soon, our long-term EU customers will face many risks that they will not be prepared to take.” “Committed to any order or supply contract after 31 December, without knowing what the price will be or even if they will be allowed to bring special goods to the country, which would make no sense to EU buyers or, in fact, In, customers elsewhere. in the world.
“The obvious solution would be to turn our back on UK exporters and source products from our exporters, who would be happy to trade away from British processors.”
What is needed Government
BMPA can expect the government to issue “badly needed” information on export health certificates and apply well to meat products before September this year.
It warns that “without clarity and certainty, millions of pounds of export trade and many jobs may be lost”.


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WATCH: The Net Zero Festival 2023 hears from WRAP's Sebastian Munden, CCEP's Sam Jones, Tetra Pak's Awantika Chadha, and Again's Brian Matuszewski on how to tackle waste and boost circular economy thinking
How are leading businesses from different sectors embracing circular thinking to drive down pollution, waste, emissions, and - hopefully - costs?
At the recent Net Zero Festival 2023, BusinessGreen's editor in chief James Murray hosted a discussion with four leading voices from business and the third sector exploring the challenges, benefits and latest innovations surrounding the transition to a more circular economy, from reducing waste to extending product lifecycles:
- Sebastian Munden, chair of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
- Sam Jones, head of climate and sustainability at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP)
- Awantika Chadha, sustainability manager at Tetra Pak
- Brian Matuszewski chief partnerships officer at Again
Their conversation can be watched back in full in the video below.
With thanks to Net Zero Festival 2023's headline sponsors Innovate UK and OVO.
While this year's event may have drawn to a close, the Net Zero Festival will be back in force again in 2024 - so sign up below to stay in the loop on the plans for next year's event.


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Airline Travel Trends
2020 marks the start of a new decade and with that, the airline travel industry is expanding to meet the priorities and expectations of travelers and consumers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that global airline passenger numbers could double to 8.2 billion by 2037. With the growth of technology and advanced systems, airline companies are adapting to keep up with new trends. Many of these trends are based on the rise in environmental awareness and mobile app usage.
- Companies are looking into developing super apps to streamline travel apps. Consumers would be able to use one app for all services including airline and hotel booking.
- According to travel data provider OAG, surveys have shown that 78% of consumers want an airline app that shows flight delay and cancellation data, 77% want to see estimated security wait times, and 75% want to see updates on expected flight boarding times. 59% of travelers want to use a super app that allows electronic payments via PayPal. 70% of respondents, of which 91% were millennials, said they would consider the super app for ate-side food delivery and pickup.
- While the United States is catching up to this trend, super apps like WeChat, Grab, and LINE are seeing implemented success in Asia. LINE Travel JP was launched in Japan in 2018 and utilizes a loyalty point program for booking travel. The app also integrates a mobile wallet for other travel services.
- Biometric technology encompasses facial recognition which has changed the travel experience in terms of terminal security checkpoints. With Orlando International Airport becoming the first US airport to commit to biometric technology in 2018, this trend has only gained more traction.
- Biometric technology is being implemented across different airlines and terminals. British Airways rolled out biometric technology in Heathrow, Orlando, Los Angeles, and John F. Kennedy international airports, among others. Towards the end of 2019, Iberia launched a new facial recognition app at Madrid Airport for fast-track security checks.
- While there may be concerns about the integration, security, and privacy of the technology, biometrics is expected to grow further in the airline industry. Emirates and Delta are expected to expand their use of biometrics and technology in the near future.
- Approximately 35% of US households own at least one smart speaker. By 2022, smart speakers are expected to develop into a $27 billion market.
- According to OAG, in a survey of more than 2,000 travelers, 25% expressed interest in booking travel through Siri and Okay Google. 18% said they would be comfortable booking travel through Google Home and Amazon Echo.
- Airlines are already using voice technology apps for check-in and flight information. EasyJet is set to launch voice-activated booking technology to book airline travel.
Second City Travel
- Second cities are described as travel destinations that are lesser known and off the beaten path. More travelers are looking to reduce over-tourism and have a more authentic experience.
- Data from Booking.com says that 54% of global travelers want to play a part in reducing over-tourism and 51% would swap their original destination for a lesser known but similar alternative. Airlines may cater to these travelers by recommending alternative destinations through their website or app.
- Consumers and travelers are growing more concerned about the environmental impacts of travel. According to OAG, sustainability issues will affect travel choices and force airlines to be more transparent during the booking process.
- EasyJet is expected to be the world’s first major airline to operate net-zero carbon flights across its entire network. This move surpasses pledges from other airlines such as British Airways who will start offsetting domestic flights this year and promises to be carbon neutral by 2050.
- JetBlue announced its goals to become carbon neutral on all domestic flights by July 2020. They also announced plans to start flying with sustainable aviation fuel in mid-2020.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Sony Corp.’s movie studio said Tuesday that “The Smurfs” and “Friends With Benefits” will be the first movies it releases on home video that will be compatible with the UltraViolet view-anywhere system.
The movies will arrive in stores Dec. 2. The high-definition Blu-ray versions will be UltraViolet compatible.
Under the UltraViolet system, home movie purchases are recorded on an online account. Users will then be able to access those movies on other computers, Web-connected TVs, tablet computers and smartphones.
Studios hope the system will encourage purchase of digital copies of movies because it removes the hassle of transferring copies between devices or maintaining a library of discs. They are trying to offset the steady decline of DVD sales.


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Bala Iyer, Head of Sales, ZEE Network UK will be joining B4U Network as Vice president of European operations, later this month.
Iyer started his career with ZEE Network eleven years ago in Mumbai as a sales executive and has since rose through the ranks, working in global markets.
At ZEE Network UK, Iyer was also given the additional task of brand manager for all six ZEE channels in the UK. It was during his tenure that the ZEE brand had executed the ten year anniversary campaign and was also instrumental in research initiatives.
Acknowledged by the advertising fraternity as a true professional, Iyer has been a key contributor in the growth of the international business of ZEE Network in the five years that he has spent with the company.
The news about Bala quitting ZEE was announced last week exclusively here on Biz Asia.


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Uflex's Waterless Internet Flower Packaging Adjudged Diamond Finalist Winner at Dow's 2018 30th Awards for Packaging Innovation
Deepthi | Myequity news | Date : 12-09-2018 13:45:00 IST
Waterless Internet Flower Packaging, a remarkable breakthrough in packaging of Flowers by Uflex, has been announced as Diamond Finalist Winner at the 2018 30th Awards for Packaging Innovation by The Dow Chemical Company (Dow). This award recognizes the packaging industry's top achievement in innovative packaging design, material, technologies and processes.
Waterless Internet Flower Packaging, developed by Uflex, has been becoming increasingly popular among global flower companies for the myriad benefits that it brings to the table. It works on the principle of Active Modified Atmospheric Packaging (AMAP) through Flexfresh, a special patented polymeric film, offering shelf-life extension solution for fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. The special film is the first 100% biodegradable film that maintains the hydration of flowers during transpiration, thus creating a closed loop system. Flowers are put to slow respiration mode by reducing the oxygen availability preventing excess oxidation and dehydration. The film keeps the flowers breathing in hydrated oxygen and releases excess humidity keeping them touch dry. The flowers thus can go without water for a significant number of days as the humidity is fed back and continues to breathe in the modified atmosphere.
On winning the Dow 2018 30th Awards for Packaging Innovation, N Siva Shankaran, Vice President, Flexfresh at Uflex Ltd. said, "Our entry complied with all three critical judging parameters of the award - technological advancement, sustainability and enhanced user experience. By offering the longest shelf life coupled with the sustainable solution, we foresee that Flexfresh is serving to be a boon for flower companies across the globe. The uniqueness of this film is that it is adapted to the living conditions of the flowers. We are introducing similar concepts in other markets and you will see them across geographies soon."
Delighted at the recognition accorded to Uflex, the company's Chairman & Managing Director Ashok Chaturvedi added, "Uflex has taken the lead as more supermarkets come under pressure to eliminate plastics from their counters. In a bid to cater to ever changing consumer demands coupled with eco-friendly solutions, this technology is a major shot in the arm for e-commerce companies that enables florists and retailers to stock up large inventory thereby leading to enormous savings. A third-party validation by a Dutch Flower Quality Evaluation Company earlier had also revealed that our technology allowed them to serve their consumers better, thereby reducing wastage and passing on the benefits to their customers".
Dow's 2018 30th Awards for Packaging Innovation successfully continues the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation program, which is the industry's longest running independently judged packaging awards program. The judging panel featured experts with diverse backgrounds, providing global perspectives across design, engineering, retail, converting and academia. The judges evaluated more than 200 entries from companies in 30 countries. "Dow received hundreds of very strong submissions that collectively demonstrate a deep global commitment to serving consumer needs and addressing worldwide challenges. Waterless Internet Flower Packaging by Uflex is helping to drive the packaging industry forward"
, said Diego Donoso, Business President for Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.
Uflex is India's largest multinational flexible packaging materials and Solution Company and an emerging global player. Since its inception back in 1985, Uflex has grown from strength to strength to evolve as a truly Indian Multinational with consumers spread across the world. Uflex today has state-of-the-art packaging facilities at multiple locations in India with installed capacity of around 100,000 TPA and has packaging film manufacturing facilities in India, UAE, Mexico Egypt, Poland and USA with cumulative installed capacity in excess of 337,000 TPA. Some of Uflex's clients on the global turf include P&G, PepsiCo; Tata Global; Mondelez, L'Oreal, Britannia, Haldiram's, Amul, Kimberly Clark, Ferro Rocher, Perfetti, GSK, Nestle etc.


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Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: Today, in the city of Karshi, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting on the socio-economic development of Kashkadarya region.
It was noted that against the backdrop of increasing tension in the world, for the development of the country, it is necessary to fight the feeling of indifference and work with complete dedication.
“In the name of peace in the country and a prosperous future for our people, we need to create new enterprises, enter new markets, attract investments, create jobs and sources of large income. If global market turbulence and trade restrictions in partner countries continue, where and how will we sell our products? Which businesses and what support do they need for this?” Shavkat Mirziyoyev asked.
In this regard, at the meeting, primary attention was paid to the development of industry, tourism, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
For example, 100 hectares of land are empty in the industrial zones of Dehkanabad, Kitab, and Karshi districts. Entrepreneurs took the initiative to invest $300 million there and create 3.5 thousand jobs. There is also the potential to launch $50 million worth of meat, dairy, and vegetable processing projects.
The head of state said that the economy of Kashkadarya should not depend only on large enterprises. The growth rate of production of consumer goods in the region is three times less than the republican indicator. Moreover, the region ranks last in terms of the share of small businesses in industry.
For example, in Kashkadarya, 150 thousand tons of polyethylene granules are produced per year, while only 4 percent of this product is processed in the region itself. It is possible to launch the production of a wide range of products based on cement, gypsum, and marble in Kamashi, graphite in Shakhrisabz district, quartz sand in Yakkabag, manganese in Chirakchi, dolomite and clay in Kitab.
The region can attract tourists all year round. However, tourism is now limited to the city of Shakhrisabz and mountainous areas. Since the beginning of the year, 180 thousand foreign tourists have come to Kashkadarya and 3.5 million to neighboring Samarkand and Bukhara.
The Head of state showed ways to create favorable infrastructure and increase the number of tourists.
In particular, together with German partners, a master plan for three tourist mahallas in Shakhrisabz district has been prepared. This will create an additional investment of $450 million and infrastructure that will attract 1 million tourists per year. The projects aroused great interest among entrepreneurs. Thanks to this, Shakhrisabz is expected to receive an additional 500 billion UZS from tourism and create 5 thousand new permanent jobs.
In addition, the reception of civil aviation will be established at Shakhrisabz Airport. From January 1, local flights to Samarkand, Bukhara, Khorezm, and valley regions will be increased. The number of Tashkent – Karshi flights will increase from 2 to 7 times a week. As a result, the cost of air tickets may decrease by two times, and the flow of foreign and local tourists may increase by three times.
Also, to facilitate travel to the region by car, requirements for travel through the Takhtaqoracha Pass will be relaxed. Next year, construction of a new tunnel and road will begin at the pass. The 30-kilometer road connecting Samarkand and Shakhrisabz and the 100-kilometer section of the Guzar – Bukhara road will be repaired.
In general, the goal is to increase the number of foreign tourists to 500 thousand next year.
There is also great potential in agriculture. Kashkadarya is the largest producer of grain and cotton in the country. However, the textile industry, which can provide many jobs, processes only 30 percent of its raw materials, and there is no fabric dyeing capacity. Through the development of these industries, it is possible to provide 500 billion UZS in revenue and employ an additional 60 thousand young people and women.
In this regard, 33 major projects worth $370 million will be launched in the region next year. Due to this, the production of finished knitted products will increase by 1.6 times, the production of fabrics will increase by 3.1 times, and 8 thousand jobs will be created.
It was noted that it is necessary to create a textile technology park in the region and attract well-known European brands there.
There are 1.4 million hectares of pastures in the region. This is a natural food source for 7 million heads of large and small livestock. But in Mirishkor, Mubarak, and Nishan, 20 percent of pastures are degraded, and another 25 percent lack green cover.
In this regard, next year, a planting program for 100 thousand hectares of pasture land will be implemented. At the same time, seed farms for crops resistant to drought, heat, and desertification will be organized, fruits and vegetables, and medicinal plants will be planted, tree groves will be created, and water-saving technologies will be introduced. Solar pumps will be installed, and a pilot sprinkler irrigation project will be launched.
In addition, a laboratory for genetic research of livestock will be created, and new national breeds will be developed based on the Spanish Assaf sheep breed.
Responsible officials have been tasked with creating an electronic map of 1.4 million hectares of pastures and providing employment for 100 thousand people.
The President noted that the issue of providing crops with water is becoming more and more difficult every year. This problem is especially relevant for Kashkadarya. However, water-saving technologies have been introduced on only 16 percent of 515 thousand hectares.
Therefore, 15 laser levels will be brought to the region for the needs of farmers in Kasan, Mirishkor, Kasbi, and Nishan, where the water supply is complex.
It was emphasized that 30 percent of water could be saved by gradually converting the irrigation network to a closed system. Officials were given instructions for concreting canals, purchasing additional pumps and equipment, and modernizing the Pakhtaabad canal.
Particular attention was paid to the issue of working with youth. It was noted that in the region, there is insufficient training of personnel for such areas as electrical engineering, the food industry, and the production of building materials. For example, IT centers have not been created in any region except the city of Karshi. The vacant premises of 60 colleges can accommodate both production and practical training.
The President approved the initiative of a Kitab entrepreneur to open an IT cluster and university.
Hokims of regions and districts were instructed to determine the need of employers for mid-level specialists and to open practical workshops of employers in education institutions. 30 billion UZS will be allocated for these purposes.
It was noted that 42 percent of the region’s population is experiencing an increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes due to the problem of excess weight. The President expressed concern about the current situation and emphasized the need to strengthen the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and increase the capacity of the healthcare system in the region.
For this purpose, a modern cardiology center will be created in Kitab together with Russian partners. Plans have been defined for the launch of mobile clinics and the creation of a modern clinic with 600 beds based on the regional multidisciplinary medical center.
Hokim of Kashkadarya region M. Azimov reported on plans for the next year to attract $1 billion in investments, produce industrial products worth 40 trillion UZS, export goods worth $500 million, reduce exports by $200 million, attract 500 thousand foreign tourists and provide jobs for 550 thousand people.
Ministers and hokims presented reports on each issue on the meeting agenda.
Thereupon, the President of Uzbekistan completed his visit to Kashkadarya region and returned to Tashkent.


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Shudu Gram is the newest social media sensation, she’s even had her image reposted by Fenty Beauty. But she’s not just any supermodel; she’s digital.
Shudu is the world’s first digital supermodel created by London-based photographer Cameron James Wilson using 3D image rendering software programme DAZ3D.
Cameron explained in an interview with Highsnobiety that Shudu is inspired by quite a few people but “her main inspiration is a South African Princess Barbie.”
“Obviously, her real-life inspirations are pulled from so many different women — Lupita, Duckie Thot and Nykhor — even throwing it back to Alek Wek, who was a massive influence on how I saw beauty growing up,” he said.
Since she made a debut on Instagram in April 2017, the stunning beauty has amassed over 70k Instagram followers surpassing various human models and influencers.
Her first few images posted on Instagram account received attention with people praising her looks and photographers sending her direct messages with requests to set up a shoot.
Shudu’s popularity rose when Rihanna’s beauty brand Fenty reposted an image of her wearing the brand’s lipstick. Created without Fenty’s involvement, the image surpassed the average amount of Instagram likes and engagement with some 222,000 likes compared to an average of around 50,000.
At the time, it had not been revealed if Shudu was a real person; her Instagram bio simply repeated the comment left under her photos: “who is she?”
Following the coverage with a co-sign from Rihanna, Cameron responded to private messages to explain that Shudu was an art project.
Since the revelation, Shudu’s social media fans have reacted negatively and have questioned how a white man created a black woman instead of hiring a real black model, so he could “profit off of black women without ever having to pay one.”
In his response, Cameron said in an interview with Highsnobiety, “The comments that have been most critical of what I’m doing have been from white women, which was kind of unexpected. I had dark skinned girls and women message me to say that they absolutely love the art that I’m doing.”
Asked whether it would be possible that the existence of Shudu’s Instagram page could be pushing other would-be models out the door, Cameron replied, “I don’t really see Shudu as a money spinner or a business for me. It’s more of an expression, and when I’ve had companies approach me if what they want doesn’t reflect in what I see for her then it’s a no go”.


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The front part of the MG ZS EV facelift gets LED headlight, LED DRLs, new front bumper, new body colours, simple grille at the front where the charging port has been placed. At the rear, LED tail light and rear bumper have been given, its profile has not been changed much but it has been given 17-inch alloy wheels. Electric badge has been given in its front fender.
Talking about its interior, its dashboard will be kept the same but many equipment will be added to it. Most of these features will be borrowed from the MG Aster. It will get a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which will replace the current 8-inch unit. In this, the new Fox carbon fiber trim will be given around the touchscreen in the top variant.
It will have ADAS function and 360-degree camera, which is placed below the MG logo. It will have a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. Along with this, a big battery will be given in it, it comes with a battery of 51kWh. Currently, this electric car comes with a range of 419 km but the range of the new model has not been announced.
The new ZS EV electric SUV will come with better passenger comfort and luxury features than before. The company has also released pictures of new features added to the car. Best-in-class rear seat comfort features have been provided in the 2022 ZS EV. This includes the rear seat center arm rest, cup holder and headrest. Apart from this, the car also gets rear air conditioning vents for the rear passengers.
MG hasn’t revealed any details about the electric drivetrain of the new ZS EV, but the current model is powered by a 44.5 kWh hi-tech battery pack and churns out 141 bhp and 353 Nm of torque. According to MG, the range of this electric SUV is up to 419 km when fully charged. It is expected that the per charge range of the new model will increase.
The 2022 MG ZS EV is to be brought in four color options which include Red, White, Black and Grey. In this, where red and white have already been kept, blue has been removed and silver and gray have to be brought in its place. However, the company can also bring the Blue color option at the time of launch.
The MG ZS EV facelift is to be brought soon but it has been introduced before that. The company is going to bring it with many changes, its booking has been started at many dealerships of the company. Along with this, those customers who have already booked can also be given a new model according to the availability. Its delivery can start soon after its launch.
MG ZS EV is to be brought soon with new updates, the company is going to bring it with many great updates. It was introduced recently but its production model is yet to be glimpsed.


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Harare — A 25-year-old car dealer recently pocketed $200 000 from several individuals promising to import cars for them only to vanish with the cash, a city court heard.
Shaun Muteswa was arrested recently after being on the run for months.
He appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa last Friday answering to 39 fraud counts.
Muteswa was released on $500 bail coupled with stringent reporting conditions which will see him reporting twice a week at Southerton Police Station.
The car dealer reportedly duped over 30 complainants after he misrepresented that he could easily secure cars for them from Japan.
Court heard unsuspecting victims made bank transfers into his account from 2017 to early this year and he went to squander the money on personal luxuries instead of purchasing the vehicles.
After the promised dates to deliver the cars lapsed, the complainants started pestering the accused, but he became evasive.
Upon noticing that pressure to deliver was mounting, Muteswa approached another car dealer and asked the latter if he could help to market and sell his vehicles.
He allegedly got three vehicles which he gave to some of the complainants. This has drawn sperate charges of theft of trust property.
Prosecutors say he failed to give all the complainants their vehicles and he went on to close all forms of communication prompting them to report the case.
He was arrested last week by the Vehicle Theft squad following months of investigations.


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Sandoz releases generic version of Astrazeneca’s Prilosec
PRINCETON, N.J. Sandoz announced Thursday the introduction of a generic version of a popular proton-pump inhibitor for treating gastro-esophageal reflux disease.
The Switzerland-based Novartis generics subsidiary has begun selling omeprazole capsules in the 40 mg strength, adding to the 20 mg capsules it already markets. The drug is a generic version of Astrazeneca’s Prilosec.
Sales of 40 mg omeprazole were about $225 million for the 12 months ending in November, according to IMS Health data. Prilosec is also available in an OTC formulation.
Teva launches campaign for affordable health care
WASHINGTON The world’s largest maker of generic drugs announced Tuesday the launch of a nationwide campaign to push for more affordable health care.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA said that the Year of Affordable Healthcare campaign was meant to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984, which created the regulatory pathway for the generic drug industry.
“With a new administration and Congress, and so many Americans concerned by the economy, this is the right time for federal action to increase access to health care through smart policy,” said Teva North America president and CEO William Marth in a statement. “As a leader in the generics industry, Teva will highlight the fact that reducing the cost of health care does not mean reducing the quality of health care.”
The campaign includes regional forums to gauge voters’ priorities for healthcare reform, new media initiatives to engage consumers, polls conducted throughout the year on Americans’ opinions about health care and outreach to healthcare leaders.
The campaign coincides with a poll of doctors by Epocrates showing that increasing numbers of Americans are skipping doses of medications in order to save money.
New FDA rules could keep doctors from prescribing certain narcotics
NEW YORK As part of the growing constraints that the Food and Drug Administration is putting on prescription drugs, the agency might soon stop some doctors from prescribing narcotic painkillers, according to published reports.
New FDA rules could prevent doctors without special training from prescribing medicines listed as Schedule II narcotics, including oxycodone, methadone and fentanyl.
Narcotic medications have been blamed for numerous patient overdoses and deaths and are a target for diversion by criminals.


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Hipster PSA: American Spirit 'natural' cigarettes get hit with fraud lawsuit
Natural American Spirit’s marketing scheme is the image of irony: an all-natural, health-conscious consumer puffing on an organic cancer stick. For years, the Natural American Spirits have been touted as the “additive-free” and “organic” cigarette of choice.
Their marketing campaign boasts that their cigarettes contain only tobacco leaf and leave out all the chemicals common in conventional brands, and implies a kinship with Mother earth that may double as a peace offering to the cancer gods.
Smokers believe this bullshit to the extent that last year, Natural American Spirit sold over 5 billion cigarettes. Now 69 individuals across 12 states are pursuing a class-action lawsuit against the owners of Natural American Spirit for false and misleading advertisement.
Natural American Spirit cigarettes have been a cornerstone of hipster culture. They’re a godsend for those who worship all things healthy and organic and natural and overpriced, like shopping at the farmer’s market or buying locally-made artisan jewelry. In the eyes of progressive flower children, American Spirit is a vegan alternative to your traditional cigarette, which contains additives made from animal products. To pander to their hip consumer base, American Spirit used to set up air conditioned tents at Coachella to hand out free packs of their cigarettes (at least until they got banned for doing so).
Recently, a New York artist mocked their popularity among his peers by setting up “Hipster traps” throughout the streets of Brooklyn, where a pack of American Spirits, a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, and a pair of neon sunglasses are clustered together inside a bear trap.
In 1997, American Spirit conducted a marketing report that characterized its customers as artists or activists, who drove “sensible/functional” cars like VW Jettas, read “hippie and intelligent/successful” magazines like The New Yorker or The Atlantic, and were likely to “hang out at a non-trendy bar” or “have friends over for dinner and drink microbrews.” With these findings, Natural American Spirit could cater their marketing approach to appeal to this trendy, eco-conscious subculture. They provided their cigarettes at local smoke shops in hip college towns such as Austin, TX and Boulder, CO. They sold them at natural food stores and a small upstart grocery chain called Whole Foods. And the hipsters just gobbled up what the corporation fed them.
Such behavior is shameful for a social circle that aims to defy the typical consumer culture. What's worse, the beloved indie brand is on the fast track to becoming one of the world’s biggest tobacco conglomerates. R.J. Reynolds, owner of Camel, Winston, Salem, and Pall Mall, bought the company in 2002 for $340 million. Unaware that the indie brand was now a member of Big Tobacco, consumers continued buying, and American Spirit profits rose around 50 percent annually in the decade after 2005. British American Tobacco has now offered $47 billion to take over Reynolds, and if the deal goes through, the owner of American Spirits will be the second-largest tobacco company in the world.
A huge component of American Spirit’s success is the misconception that the absence of chemical additives makes its cigarettes healthier. And it’s true that the industry once turned to additives such as ammonia and urea to speed up the delivery of nicotine to the brain and foster addiction. But the scientific community agrees that it’s the poison in the smoke that kills. After all, smoking has been causing cancers and other diseases since the early 1900s, long before the industry began using additives. Natural American Spirit smokers pay nearly double for their “organic” tobacco, but get no more health benefits for the premium price.
“Organic” is the magic word for Natural American Spirit. It’s precisely how the company takes the noxious character of cigarettes—their extreme addictiveness and their poisonous effects – and covers it with a veil of implied healthiness.
Alex Watkins, an American Spirit supplier of PRC (purity-residue clean) tobacco for nearly 20 years, told Bloomberg, “People just like that word. And they feel so much safer smoking. I mean, look, you’re still sucking smoke in your lungs. Is it good for you? Hell no. But you ain’t gonna stop people from smoking. They enjoy it. But I guess they got a sense of feeling that it’s supposed to be better for you. Because, you know, it don’t have any chemicals. Whatever eases your mind, I guess.”
The lawsuit against Natural American Spirit’s misleading marketing campaign has a solid foundation. First of all, there’s precedent. In the case of Engle v. Liggett in 2000, a Florida jury awarded a class of smokers $145 billion in punitive damages for injuries resulting from cigarette addiction. Since then, multimillion-dollar jury verdicts against tobacco companies have been gaining steam and making periodic headlines.
What’s worse, Natural American Spirits has done nothing in response to a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stating that the advertising phrases “natural” and “additive-free” constituted false marketing of a “modified risk product,” which is a violation of federal law. It’s been a year since American Spirits received notice of their federal offense, and no visible change has been made in how the cigarettes are marketed.
Natural American Spirit cigarettes have bright, colorful packaging reminiscent of a box of crayons. They have Hollywood’s It Girls, Chloe Sevigny, Alexa Chung, Kate Hudson, and Kirstin Dunst, clutching them in their manicured hands. They have a marketing scheme that promotes an eco-friendly farm to lung process. And for hipsters, they’re the trendiest deadly habit you can find.


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How do retail marketers keep online momentum going as physical stores continue to reopen? They are leaning into digital to maintain customer engagement and drive growth by enhancing proven strategies like SMS and email. This omnichannel approach uses targeted messages, tailoring relevant content to timely consumer trends.
For fashion retailers, the COVID-19 situation presents an assortment of challenges as not only have people’s priorities and needs changed but, for many, shopping for clothing is an inherently in-person activity. Here are 6 ways fashion retailers can connect with customers online while physical shopping is on pause to drive sales.
Helping crafters find their “happy place” has never mattered more than it does today, when we’re all searching for ways to stay happy and discover new outlets amidst so much uncertainty. To do this, JOANN has evolved its customer service to meet the needs of today’s generation of crafters and makers.
Competing with Amazon, addressing privacy issues linked to collection of data by third-party technologies and improving site speed to boost sales are top priorities identified in a new study from ecommerce platform provider Yottaa. The report suggests Prime-style free same-day shipping will become widespread among brands in 2020.
Free On-Demand Webinar: Oracle NetSuite has conducted a survey of shopper expectations and retailer planning, surveying 2,000 consumers and 400 retail execs. Join Art Wittmann, editor of Brainyard and Chris Benner both of Oracle NetSuite for high-level findings and recommendations for retail businesses over the next decade.
With rising demands and increased competition, retailers can capture the attention of digitally saturated consumers through enhanced, experiential shopping, to attract them to both physical and virtual stores. Whether online, mobile or in store, this omnichannel experience has to be consistent, seamless and intuitive.
SheerID, whose software quickly verifies a person’s status as a member of a particular consumer “tribe,” has raised $64 million in an equity round. It defines identity marketing as a form of personalization focused on winning over consumer tribes that align with the brand’s promise. Clients include Target, Amazon, Lowe’s and Urban Outfitters.
With an omnichannel approach becoming ever more prevalent in the grocery industry, a new report found grocery retailers excelling in some areas while needing a bit of improvement in others. That’s according to a new omnichannel readiness benchmarking report from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and FitForCommerce.